Page 65 of Mayhem

“That’s the English teacher, right? The one who cornered you?”

“Yeah.” I lean my head against the window, watching the world pass by.

“Is college something you want?”

I shrug. “I mean, yeah. But I’m a realist, and I don’t see a way for it to happen. College is expensive, and is it really worth putting yourself into debt for?” I turn my head, glancing at Chase.

I watch as his hands flex on the steering wheel and wonder what they would feel like on me.

“If anyone can figure out how to make it work, it would be you.”

“Thank you,” I tell him as the car slows down.

“We’re here,” he says, ignoring my thanks as he pulls into a parking lot.

I scan the building in front of us. It’s an older building that houses a law office.

“You’re a lawyer?”

He chuckles. “Not quite.”

He puts the truck in park, gets out, coming to open my door. He helps me down, his hands sliding along my body. He pauses a moment, his thumbs caressing my sides.

I sway on my feet, skin prickling with goose bumps.

“Right.” He clears his throat. “Come on. Let’s give you a look into my exhilarating life.”

He grabs my hand, pulling me away from the truck.

“So if you’re not a lawyer, why are we at a lawyer’s office.”

“You’ll see.”

Instead of going in the front door, he leads me around the side. Once at the side door, he knocks in a pattern.

The door opens wide, allowing us entrance. I smile at the buff guy at the door, but he doesn’t notice. He nods to Chase as we step past him, closing the door behind us.

Chase continues to pull me by my hand down a dark hall. At the end, he opens another door, revealing a set of steps leading down.

“Is this the part where you end up murdering me?”

“If I wanted you dead, I wouldn’t bring you here. Come on, we’re already late.”

He steps in front of me, placing my hand on his shoulder. “The steps are steep. Make sure you hold on.”

“Okay,” I murmur, hiding my smile as we descend the stairs.

Once at the bottom, he leads me to a door.

Resting his hand on the door, he turns toward me. “What you see tonight doesn’t leave this room. When we walk through these doors, I’m no longer Chase. You’ll hear them call me Rocky. In there, I’m not your friend. I can’t be. Do you understand?”

I swallow hard. “Understood.”

“Then enter at your own risk.”

He does another intricate knock, different from the first, then the door opens, an onslaught of noise spilling out into the empty hallway.

While it’s dark out here with minimal light, inside it is bright as daylight. People are crowded around in two different areas, all facing a central point.

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